The Countermeasure Research Of Local Government Response To The Sudden Natural Disasters

The problem of natural disasters is causing wide concern. It is important for China’s local governments to improve the capacity for coping with natural disasters and managing crisis, especially under the circumstances of rapid economic and social progress. Current studies on local governments’crisis management generally involve governmental control at a macro level, while there is a general dearth of literature on local governments at the grass root level. The crisis management capability of local governments most directly influences people’s lives and productivity, and concerns social stability and development. Local governments usually lack an effective and systematic approach to emergency management, and the capacity and skills to cope with natural disasters. An in-depth research on local governments’ emergency management can help effectively enhance local governments’capacity for emergency response and disaster relief, which in turn ensures maximum protection of public property and safety. Moreover, it has practical significance in improving the government credibility, perfecting governmental functions, and promoting social harmony and stability. This study, through a practical, people-oriented perspective, builds a theoretical model of local governments’ disaster response, and conducts a case study of rainstorm and flood disasters in Yangtze-Huai Region using a mixed research method that combines survey and literature review.This study gives a summary of the achievements and drawbacks of the local governments in the process of early warning, response, and overall coordination, makes some rational and reasonable suggestions in terms of disaster prevention, reduction and resistance based on governmental people-oriented principle, and seeks to provide empirical and theoretical foundations for improving and perfecting China’s local governments’ capacity for emergency response and disaster relief.